


dance with me

by thir13enth



Category: Jane the Virgin (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-18 18:57:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13106466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thir13enth/pseuds/thir13enth
Summary: There's nothing Jane regrets more from her youth than skipping out on salsa practice.





	dance with me

**Author's Note:**

> this is what happens when i start catching up with TV shows: cheesy fanfiction.

Despite remembering exactly how much she hated every minute of salsa class when she was young, there are times Jane regrets every day she very intentionally missed practice at Señora Ruiz’s studio, in lieu of getting chocolate chip ice cream cones at the neighborhood Dairy Queen with her mother.

Times like now, for example, when her heart is completely captured once again by the beauty and the grace of the rhythmic whirls and twirls of the two dancers, complete with charming smiles and passionate glances.

Jane’s mouth drops a little as she watches the dance sequence — her eyes glued to the television screen, her right hand clutching the blanket thrown over her shoulders. She gasps when the male dancer drops his partner to the ground, only to catch her just as the ends of her brunette waves kiss the floor before spinning her around into his arms.

To think that her younger self didn’t have the discipline to continue those lessons with Señora Ruiz! Jane could have had it all!

As the dance closes and fades to the next scene, Jane takes in a deep breath and sighs audibly.

A soft chuckle from behind her.

“I know you love your telenovelas, but I don’t think I’ve actually seen you _that_ passionate about any scene in a show before,” Rafael teases, as he invites himself onto the other side of the couch.

Jane rolls her eyes, unwilling to let him embarrass her. “Mateo’s asleep?” she asks, changing the subject.

“Before I could even finish reading him a page,” Rafael assures her.

At this, Jane can’t help but grin, thinking of Mateo’s calm and peaceful sleeping face. “Thank you,” she says to Rafael, and her lips stretch wider, thinking of how warm Rafael’s heart must have grown seeing Mateo’s eyelids fall shut to his voice. “I told you that you’re a good dad.”

Rafael looks down, but Jane can hear Rafael’s smile, even with the TV conversation in the background.

After a moment, Rafael turns his attention to her telenovela, watching the drama unfold for a little bit before turning back to her. “So what part did I miss?”

“Oh, nothing too important for the plot,” she replies, waving his question off.

He raises an eyebrow, leaning close. “I don’t think you even _blinked_.”

Giving up, Jane exhales quickly. “Okay, fine,” she admits. “They were just dancing salsa…” And then, under her breath, “And also this just reminded me how I wished I hadn’t quit salsa before I actually learned how to dance it.”

He laughs before standing up from the sofa, holding his hand out to her. “Here, come.”

She’s taken aback. “You know how to dance salsa?”

He gives her a crooked smile. “No,” he admits. “But rewind the show a bit and we can learn together.”

She groans exasperatedly. “You might just remind me why I quit salsa in the first place.”

“Doesn’t hurt to try again,” he replies, his hand still outstretched. “Right?”

And maybe it’s something about knowing Mateo is sound asleep upstairs, or being reminded about her love for the music and the melody of salsa, or seeing how the soft TV light casts gentle shadows over Rafael’s face, but Jane feels the familiar tickle of a rekindling in her heart.

“Dance with me?” he asks.

She does.


End file.
